Longparish Parish Council

At its January meeting the Parish Council:

• Heard reports from people affected by flooding. The main sewer comes down the valley from Hurstbourne Tarrant. A pumping station opposite the Plough pumps it all away up over Southside Hill. The pump was not able to cope with the volume of water in the sewer following the heavy rain at New Year and more recently. The result was a large lake on the school field, flooding near the Plough and many problems elsewhere. Southern Water has supplemented the pump with a second pump that discharges filtered water into the river and by tankers. With any luck that will keep it under control and we must be grateful that we didn't have problems to the same extent as St Mary Bourne and Shipton Bellinger. The Council will write jointly with the school governors to the various authorities explaining that it is vital to keep the water level in the sewer under control.

• Raised no objection to a plans for pool house at Braeside, Micheldever Road

• Considered the budget for next year and decided to set the precept (the amount which the council raises from the village through the Council Tax) at £15,000

• Reviewed the draft Village Design Statement which will now go to the Borough Council for their comments

• Decided to replace the fence round the playground and take in the extra ground kindly given by Middleton Estate at the same time

• Decided to have another clean up day on 29^th March. Please put the date in your diary

If you'd like to know more, the minutes are published on our village website www.longparish.org.uk and should be available soon after this report is published.

The next meeting will be on Monday 13 February at 7.30 in the Village Hall. There is also a special meeting on 27 January to consider the draft Borough Plan. Our meetings are public and all parishioners are welcome to come and can speak. The agenda will be on the notice boards at the shop and in Forton a few days before the meeting.

Jeremy Barber Chairman tel 720459

Dogs on the football field

The School children will be using the football field for games while the school field is wet. So please keep your dog on a lead if you take it on the football field and clear up if it makes a mess. Thank you.

Village Hall curtains and bookings

Thanks very much to Kim Andrews, Sandra Jones, Gloria Goodliffe and Georgina Knipe who have put excellent new curtains on the stage and fireproofed the rest.

Sandra will be dealing with the bookings until the middle of March. You can phone her on 720551 or email her at Sandra@Sandrajones.co.uk

Parish Council elections

There will be elections in May.

• If you can spare some time to help with the council's work, please stand for election

• If you think 'they' should be doing things differently, please stand for election.

• If you'd like to improve our village, please stand for election.

To find out more about what the council does and what being a councillor involves please contact the chairman, Jeremy Barber, email jeremy.barber@longparish.org.uk  tel 720459, or ask any councillor.